Wild West: Exploring Western Australia’s last great superyacht frontier

From ancient Aboriginal rock art and otherworldly red-earth landscapes to Perth’s quietly confident dining scene, Western Australia is emerging as one of the world’s most compelling – and least chartered – superyacht destinations.

With its fantastical landscapes and increasingly sophisticated culinary scene, Western Australia’s billing as the “dream state” seems apt, however you interpret that particular dream. It is, unsurprisingly, a rising destination for superyacht owners and charter guests, with the largest ports located in Perth, Rottnest Island and Broome – perfect gateways for roaming national parks strewn with ancient aboriginal art, or for enjoying a taste of Perth’s burgeoning food and wine scene.

Yes, Western Australia currently only captures 2.7 per cent of the superyacht fleet by visitation, but this gives it an “uncharted” charm, says Cameron Bray, managing director of brokerage house The Superyacht People. “Western Australia feels like the last frontier of the world; it’s so remote and different to any other yachting location. The scenery is unlike anywhere else in Australia – you’ve got these incredible sheer cliffs, red rock, eight-metre tides and crocodiles swimming around.”

With year-round sunshine, English as the primary language and supplies widely available, it’s a carefree destination for a superyacht excursion. “You feel like you’re on the edge of the world, but you’re in a completely safe and stable country, both politically and financially,” says Bray.

The afternoon is bright and cloudless when I push open the doors of my suite at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Perth. I flick a switch, and the floor-to-ceiling blinds slowly rise, unveiling a double rainbow that arcs across the Swan River. A lucky omen for a whirlwind few days exploring the best of Western Australia (that will hopefully be free of those chance crocodile encounters).

Far-flung and somewhat of an outlier from other metropolises in Australia, Perth has a sleepy reputation, known, with varying degrees of generosity, as both a Cinderella city and Dullsville. As I wander into the CBD at dusk, past the ornate colonial architecture framed by skyscrapers, Perth seems to be shrugging off its country bumpkin character. With dinner on the horizon, I head to Stories, a new venue that sprawls from a twinkling rooftop bar to a clandestine train-carriage speakeasy hidden in the heart of the building.

Faced with a labyrinth of choices, I settle on Karla, a restaurant serving contemporary Asian fare with a hint of Australiana. The name is a nod to the Noongar people, the traditional owners of Western Australia, and translates as “campfire”. Designed around open-fire cooking techniques, the menu’s flavours are bold and earthy, from the smoked Abrolhos Island scallops (known for their sweet flavour) to the wood-roasted duck breast. 

For those with taste buds more adventurous than mine, the crocodile kushiyaki (a Japanese-inspired grilled skewer) is a menu standout. Diners who want to play it safe can pick from a selection of more than 100 first-class local wines, such as a crisp, citrusy Margaret River Chardonnay, to lift the richness of the meal.

I drag myself from the river views of my suite and take a flight to Karratha, a city in the Pilbara region of northwestern Australia. It’s too far for yachts to cruise with guests on board; it’s best to meet vessels in position across Australia’s vast expanse. Those visiting Western Australia by superyacht can cruise past the reddish-gold coastline and land pricked with shrub by beginning their journey in Broome, a historic pearling port in the Kimberley wilderness region, 300 nautical miles above Karratha.

The busy resort town of Exmouth is another option located 170 nautical miles south of Karratha. Considered the gateway to the Ningaloo Marine Park (famed for its colourful reefs, whale sharks and kaleidoscopic fish), Exmouth is a sand-dusted town with barefoot charm. Walk around the town and you’ll find outdoorsy shops, relaxed seafood joints and local tour operators for the Ningaloo reef.

Although the Kimberley is not as firmly on the tourist map as Ningaloo or Margaret River, the region is beginning to carve out a name as a wilderness cruising destination. With 42 islands and islets scattered around the Indian Ocean’s crystalline waters, the Dampier Archipelago has the potential to be a superyacht playground of sorts, with prime opportunities to spot the flicker of green, loggerhead, flatback and hawksbill turtles and whale sharks. 

Land-based pursuits in the vast red-earth expanse include hiking along the Kimberley Coast to explore ancient rock formations or investigating Roebuck Bay. Between March and October, the region experiences a spectacular phenomenon known as Staircase to the Moon, where the full moon rises over the exposed tidal flats of the Kimberley and Pilbara coastlines.

A visit to Western Australia would not be complete without venturing into the interior’s red ochre rocks, so I pick up a four-wheel drive at Perth Airport and join Clinton Walker, founder of Ngurrangga, a fully Aboriginal-owned tour operator, on a day tour of the Pilbara. As a traditional owner, Walker is best placed to show me the cavernous swimming holes and towering waterfalls of Murujuga and Karijini National Park.

Walker takes the wheel so I can gaze out the window as the scenery undulates from mountains to gorges, umber rock to golden planes, bathed in the afternoon sun’s soft glow.

As we drive, Walker divulges centuries of history baked into the area’s ancient petroglyphs – sacred rock engravings dating back 40,000 years. Ten times older than Egypt’s pyramids, the carvings were created by the Aboriginal Yaburrara (Northern Ngarluma) people and depict faded kangaroos, emus and figures that speak to the country’s rich creation stories and songlines.

“To many Aboriginal people, this is the most sacred place in Australia. Even more so than Uluru, because this is where songlines begin. All aboriginal people can trace their culture back to here,” says Walker. There are an estimated one million rock art images scattered across the entire Burrup Peninsula – and it’s no wonder Murujuga is tipped to be a UNESCO World Heritage-listed area. 

Soon, Walker will be teaming up with Leith Rowe, the owner of Karratha’s Lethal Adventures jet ski operator, to run a whale watching and rock art tour in the turquoise waters of the Dampier Archipelago.

Deep in the mining heartland, Karratha is more notable for its snaking trains of iron ore than its fine dining establishments. However, Fiorita Wine Bar & Restaurant, a Milan-inspired restaurant and wine bar, serves seasonal small plates and artisanal cocktails, plus 200 drops from around the world. I opt for the seared yellowfin tuna and kingfish ceviche, washed down with a watermelon spritz.

From the Pilbara, travellers can either continue cruising northwards, or circle back to Perth to explore the laid-back charm of Rottnest Island and Fremantle. Only a short 30-minute cruise from Perth, Rottnest Island has a breezy, barefoot feel to it.

Almost as soon as I set foot on the island, I’m greeted by the happiest-looking animal in the world, the quokka. More than 10,000 of these smiley little marsupials, which are around the size of a small cat, live on Rottnest Island.

Besides the maze of bike tracks and walking trails, Rottnest has plenty to see below the surface.

“We have a tropical, warm current that scoops around the island and circles around the southern side, so we get corals and fish here

that you don’t get 20 kilometres away in Perth,” says Pip Sabien, senior destination marketing co-ordinator at Rottnest Island Authority.

More than a dozen shipwrecks scatter the coastline, and two of them, Uribes and Shark, lie mere metres off the shore.

For lunch, I drift to Havza, an Aegean-style restaurant with a handful of wooden tables overlooking the Rottnest basin. Despite the tiny kitchen, a stream of never-ending tapas dishes appear, from lemon myrtle burnt butter scallops to grilled octopus with native vine confit tomatoes. The ingredients are so fresh and the hospitality so warm, it would be easy to mistake Havza for a family taverna in Paros.

With the end of my whistle-stop tour of Western Australia nearing, I spend the morning in Fremantle, known affectionately as Freo. Only 30 minutes away from Perth, Fremantle is the free-spirited sister city with gothic verandas, eclectic bookshops and coffee joints on almost every corner. Fremantle’s Fishing Boat Harbour can service vessels between 40 and 70 metres at Sea Harvest Marine, making it a popular spot for visiting superyachts.

 As the last rays of sun disappear and the street lights flick to amber, I make a toast to my last night at Gimlet, a cosy gin and aperitivo bar in the heart of Fremantle. My choice for dinner is between two restaurants with a rich maritime history. 

The first is Asian-inspired Emily Taylor, with blush pink jacarandas and kaleidoscopic umbrellas colouring the courtyard. Emily Taylor, a 19th-century merchant ship that sailed from England to Fremantle, stopped through Asia on its voyages, to collect tea and spices. The restaurant evokes this, with a menu steeped in cinnamon, anise and ginger.

Instead, I opt for Sailing for Oranges, a restaurant named after free settler ship Sophia. On a long and sweltering voyage to Fremantle in 1850, mariners filled a sail with seawater for bathing and ate dozens of oranges to quench their thirst. The Iberian-style menu is a tribute to balmy days, with charcuterie and spritzes the go-to order.

There is no better way to finish a few days in the country’s dream state than with my final glass of Margaret River Chardonnay in Western Australia’s most historic port city.

First published in the September 2025 issue of BOAT International. Get this magazine sent straight to your door, or subscribe and never miss an issue.